DIG DEEP Strike GOLD

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Apr 8, 2026

TALENT is hidden in hinterlands and needs to be explored. Sports Authority of India (SAI) unearthed that talent, that too in abundance, during the just concluded 1st Khelo India Tribal Games held in Raipur.

The initiative of SAI will surely help Indian sports take a big leap. The first step in this direction was on display during the 10-day sporting events held at Raipur, Sarguja and Jagdalpur.

KITG dug deep into the tribal lands, invited athletes from forests and sportspersons crossed the finish lines with gold medal winning performances.

Over 3800 tribal athletes from 30 States of the country got first-hand experience when they took the field and showcased their talent, surprising many with shocking results.

There were a whopping 106 gold medals on offer across archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling while traditional sports like mallakhamb and kabaddi were the demonstration sports. Athletes from Jammu and Kashmir to far flung Lakshwadeep got an opportunity to dazzle on a national field. Swimmers made a splash in the pool, athletes set synthetic tracks on fire, wrestlers dominated the mats and archers shot the arrows with precision hitting bull’s eye.

All in all, the tribal athletes forced SAI selectors and talent hunters to turn their heads and acknowledge their performance.

Be it Karnataka swimmer Manikanta L, who bagged eight gold medals and a silver to help his side take top perch or the 15-year-old Anjali Munda from Odisha who dazzled with five yellow metals to outrace her much older opponents, the KITG gave wings to these athletes who were starved of good competition.

Abdul Fathah of Lakshadweep became the first long jumper from the Union Territory to clear a distance of 7m to win the gold medal.

The KITG provided sportspersons from tribal communities one major platform where they could excel. Best of the facilities to practice on and top-notch arenas to contest for medals were provided.

With India aiming to host the 2036 Olympics, KITG guided SAI to an altogether new avenue to pick sportspersons for the mega sporting extravaganza. 

These Games helped sportspersons coming from different tribal regions overcome pressure situations. It also taught them how to stay calm in crunch situations.

The Games brought forth the fighting spirit among tribals who did not give up till the final whistle. They showed what raw power they possess. 

Tribal athletes have brought laurels to India earlier too. Rajasthan archer Limba Ram, Jharkhand’s sensational Deepika Kumari, hockey Olympians, Dilip Tirkey, Salima Tete, football icon Sikkim’s Bhaichung Bhutia or ‘Magnificent Mary’ Kom from Manipur — these athletes were the flag bearers of Indian sports for years. They had worked tirelessly to reach the pinnacle of their career with limited facilities. But with KITG, tribal athletes got a platform at their doorsteps to excel.

Those selected will be getting the best of the facilities to train and will gain knowledge which they were shorn off.

This is just the beginning and in the coming years, KITG will become a factory of medal hunters. 

At Raipur, seven disciplines were held and in coming years more disciplines will be added which will help in producing medals winners in abundance.

A little bit of guidance and training would help these sportspersons become ‘gold-diggers’ on international platforms.

One-handed magician

 

Archer Shweta targets Paralympics

n By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 2

GADCHIROLI’S para archer Shweta Bhaskar Kove’s story isn’t just about finishing on podiums. It’s about breaking barriers, challenging limitations, and inspiring a generation of women to believe that nothing is impossible if there is a will to excel in life and sports.

Born with only one hand (right hand developed only till elbow), the 19-year-old Maharashtra archer has achieved what most of the able-bodied archers couldn’t dream off. She has clinched several medals — gold, silver, bronze — for her State and has represented the country in Asian Championship as well. And she yearns for more success at international level. Her ultimate dream is to represent India in Paralympics.

Participating with able-bodied archers here at the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) in Raipur, Shweta and her team missed the bronze medal in compound event but she is not disheartened. Instead, she has started training for her next trials for an international event which will be held in coming months.

Born in a farm labourers family, Shweta lost her father Bhaskar a few years ago. Her mother, Manjusha, works on a farm to make ends meet. Her younger brother, Snehal, who is also a State-level archer, took up the sport looking at the success of Shweta.

But archery was not the first love for Shweta. She took up gun shooting initially and even moved to the top four-bracket at national level. However, “partiality” forced her to replace bullets with arrows.

“I used to do gun shooting in Jaripatka, Nagpur. But due to partiality I had to look away from shooting. My coach Shashank sir asked me to take up archery and I went to Buldhana under the tutelage of coach Chandrakant Ilag. He invented the releaser for me with which I can release the arrow with the help of my neck,” a pint-sized Shweta told ‘The Hitavada’ beside the archery range at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium Complex, on Thursday.

Being a gun shooter, Shweta had lesser difficulty in lifting the bow. But the equipment is quite heavy and the 19-year-old had to develop strength in her bow lifting left hand. She used to lift dumbbell for hours to develop strength. “It’s painful but to achieve success, one has to bear pain,” Shweta stated.

With a lean body frame it is very difficult for the Gadchiroli girl to train for long hours. Her shoulder aches, back breaks, but her determination keeps her going.

“I train for 7 to 8 hours in two sessions daily. It is painful. The shoulder breaks and the back gives up. I could not stand and needed a massage to relieve back pain. But I am not complaining,” the 1st Year BA student of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule College and a silver medallist at Jaipur Nationals (2024-25), said.

Shweta, who represented India at the Asian Youth Para Championship in Dubai earlier this year, had to suffer another ordeal immediately after returning from the Gulf nation.

“Due to the Indigo fiasco earlier this year, my flights to Nagpur were cancelled. I was stranded in New Delhi and after a couple of days, I got a train ticket. But my reservation was from Bhopal and I had to travel standing. It was only after the TTE recognised me and gave me a seat,” narrated Shweta.

The ‘one-handed magician’ wants support from the Government as it is financially very taxing to continue performing with the meager funds.

“A top quality bow costs around Rs 10 lakh. I am practicing with equipment which costs Rs 4 lakh. Lloyds Metals financially assisted me and gave Rs 1 lakh at the hands of CM Devendra Fadnavis recently which I used to purchase this equipment. But I need funds to purchase good equipment. With good equipment my performance can improve manifold,” she said with confidence. “I wish to represent India at the Paralympics and I will train hard to achieve my ultimate dream,” she confidently declared.

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After powerlifting and arm-wrestling, Debi finds peace in wrestling

WINS SILVER MEDAL IN KITG

n Special Correspondent

RAIPUR, Apr 2

SHE started her sporting journey with powerlifting but then shifted to arm-wrestling. With strength in her arms and wrists, Khelo India Centre wrestling coach Anustup Narah asked her to take up wrestling. And as they say, the rest is history.

The story of Assam wrestler Debi Daimiri’s is of willpower, determination and search of 

satisfaction.

She found the satisfaction she needed in wrestling and is now collecting medals at various wrestling events.

The 28-year-old Debi clinched the silver medal in the women’s 62kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games here, in Raipur on Thursday.

Though she could not grab the gold medal, Debi is satisfied with finishing on the podium.

“This medal is the result of my hard work and I will train harder to change the colour of my medal next season,” Debi said on Thursday.

Hailing from Dineshpur village in Sisupani, Golaghat district of Assam, Debi lost her parents when she was seven years old. Her uncle and aunt took care of her from that tender age and also supported her in fulfilling her sporting dreams.

Recalling her journey, Debi said, “I started wrestling in 2022 at Khelo India Centre in Bokakhat near Kaziranga. I had to rent a room nearby and for that I took up a part-time job.

To make ends meet and fund her training Debi had to do odd jobs.

“In the same year, I worked at a mall (Easy Bazaar store) in Bokakhat where I earned of Rs 2500 per month. I kept on changing jobs in search of better financial returns. In 2023, I got a swimming pool cleaning job at Bon Villa Resort in Kaziranga where I earned around Rs 7000 per month,” said the wrestler.

Before stepping on the wrestling mat, Debi was involved in powerlifting and arm-wrestling. In 2022, she met Assam team coach Narah, under whose guidance she learned the nuances of wrestling.

For better training, Narah adviced Debi to rent a room near the training centre. He also helped her get a job through the district wrestling association and arranged a bicycle for her.

In the same year, Debi qualified for the Senior State Wrestling Championships held in Visakhapatnam and two years later (2024), she went on to clinch her maiden yellow metal at State meet.

The 28-year-old wrestler got married in 2025 and the support of her husband and in-laws has only made her more determined to succeed at the national stage.

“I thank my in-laws for supporting me in my sporting career. My husband, who works in Bengaluru, constantly supports me by sending money so that I don’t face any difficulties.

“My next target is to win medals at the senior level and then compete internationally. For that I am tirelessly working to improve my style of play and also increase my strength,” she concluded.

You can’t produce medal winners by showing them ‘Saas Bahu’ serials at home: Bhutia

 

BHUTIA, MARY KOM FEEL KITG WILL TAKE INDIAN SPORT TO GREATER HEIGHTS

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 3

LAUDING the initiative of Sports Authority of India (SAI) by starting Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG), sporting legends of country — boxer MC Mary Kom and footballer Bhaichung Bhutia assured that Indian sport will reach greater heights with tribal athletes shining at the international level in coming years.

Addressing a packed press conference on the last day of KITG in Raipur, both the sporting icons were of the view that there is great potential in Indian athletes which has to be channelled in a proper systematic way.

“KITG is a good initiative of the government. We never got such a platform in our days. There was no awareness in those days and we have to train on our own,” said six times amateur world boxing champion Mary Kom.

Adding to it, former India football captain Bhutia said, “Athletes should take advantage of the facilities central and state governments are providing. We never got such facilities but the present generation is lucky to get all they want. In football, we have much better infrastructure than what some of the South American countries have.”

Both the icons hoped that from next edition more discipline would be added. “We hope that from next year more events are added and the Games get much bigger,” they hoped.

With a message to never give up and keep fighting Mary Kom said that pressure to perform will always be there. “Starting from parents’ high expectations, pressure will be there at school and at international levels. Athletes will have to learn how to absorb pressure and perform in adverse situations,” she advised.

Bhutia and Mary Kom both felt it is the responsibility of parents to develop sports culture at home. Then only an international sportsperson can be produced.

“It is not the sole responsibility of SAI or the State government to produce athletes. The responsibility starts with parents at home. If you give a mobile in the hands of a growing child, how can one expect him to become a talented sportsperson,” asked Mary Kom.

“If you show kids ‘Saas Bahu’ serial daily at prime time, how can you expect your wards to excel in sports? It is the duty of parents and family members to develop a sporting environment in their home. Then only they can expect their kids to win medals,” stated Bhutia.

Bhutia was more realistic while speaking about the administrative structure in the country and the reason for declining football in the country. 

“I am a product of SAI and have grown in stature from the academy. But the administrative structure has to be changed. In our country top officials in sports administration refuse to vacate their positions and are occupying the chair for three-four decades. They feel it as their fiefdom and refuse to accept change. This hampers the growth of the sport,” he explained.

Refusing to draw parallel with cricket, Bhutia admitted that football is at its nadir in India but added that it is at Number 2 after cricket, viewership wise.

“I don’t want to draw a comparison between football and cricket. Ours is a cricket-loving nation. But at the same time football followers are also in large numbers. Viewership-wise we (football) still stands at second position in our country. The ISL is watched in large numbers,” Bhutia said.

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ODISHA’S GOLDEN DOUBLE

HI President Tirkey attributes hockey success to sporting culture in the State

Appreciates Govt’s initiative of organising KITG for tribal community

n By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 3

THE golden double by Odisha men and women hockey teams at the Khelo India Tribal Games in Raipur has once again stamped tribal region’s authority in the country.

In the men’s final, Odisha beat Jharkhand 4-1 while the women narrowly defeated Mizoram 1-0 here at Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, the other day.

Odisha has been producing international hockey players on a regular basis, a reason why kids take up the sport from a tender age.

Players like multiple-time Olympian and current Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, Michael Kindo, Amit Rohidas, Prabodh Tirkey, Birendra Lakra, women stalwarts Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo are a few names from Odisha who have brought laurels to the country.

Former hockey Olympian Tirkey was elated with the twin gold medals at the first games held especially for the tribal community.

Speaking exclusively with ‘The Hitavada’ from Bhubaneshwar, Tirkey said the efforts put in by the Odisha Government and Sports Authority of India are the reason for success of the State teams.

High on the double golds, Tirkey wished the next Khelo India Tribal Games be held in Odisha.

“It’s a commendable performance from both men and women teams at Raipur. I am happy that Odisha is producing title winners,” former India captain Tirkey shared his views.

“We are working hard here in Odisha for the development of hockey. Our aim is to produce medal winning hockey players who can also represent the country. There is unflinching support to the players from the Odisha Government. We have developed a sporting culture in our State,” said the former India defender.

“Thanks to the Odisha Government which is supporting the game at the national level as well,” he added. The Odisha Government has extended its sponsorship to the Indian teams till 2036.

“It (KITG) was a very important tournament for us. Many top teams like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra participated. They all were strong teams and Odisha showed its power on the turf,” he added.

Tirkey was of the view that KITG was a great platform for tribals to show their talent.

“It was a huge platform for tribals to show what they possess. SAI selection committee was also present in Raipur, Jagdalpur and Sarguja for talent hunt. Those selected will get special training at different SAI centres,” Tirkey informed.

“Earlier, many tribal kids could not get selected for national games and other championships. KITG brought forth the talent of players from tribal communities. It has given them the platform to excel and get noticed. This will help India getting a pool of more talented players for future,” Tirkey, who led India at 2004 Athens Games, said.

Meanwhile, former Olympian Ajit Lakra, a member of 1992 Barcelona Olympics and now head coach at Bilaspur Centre of Excellence said, “The entire system, right from grassroots to junior and then senior levels, is gradually becoming stronger. Athletes from tribal regions, in particular, are benefiting greatly. Their natural talent is now being refined with proper guidance and training.”

Former Olympian Manohar Topno, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and has coached both Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh men’s teams, lauded the SAI’s efforts.

“I would like to thank SAI for organising this grassroots tournament. The boys and girls from our communities are rising and rebuilding. If we continue like this, one day these players will represent India,” Topno said to SAI media.

Hockey India member Asrita Lakra highlighted how these changes are inspiring athletes. “Hockey is deeply ingrained in the blood of kids in these tribal regions, so they are naturally drawn to the sport. Platforms like Khelo India Tribal Games have given them direction,” Lakra said.

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Karnataka are overall champs

Maharashtra finish fourth 

while hosts Chhattisgarh ninth 

n Special Correspondent

RAIPUR, Apr 3

KARNATAKA emerged as the overall champions with a total of 38 medals in their kitty as it was curtains on the first Khelo India Tribal Games here at Raipur on Friday. The southern State collected 23 gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals to stay at the top perch of the tally.

On last day of the Games, former world junior champion Komalika Bari of Jharkhand added the recurve women’s archery gold medal to her mixed triumph while Odisha’s Arjun Khara clinched the recurve men’s category gold but these efforts were not enough for the chasing pack to dislodge Karnataka from the top.

Thirty States and Union Territories participated in the inaugural edition that witnessed close to 3800 participants compete in nine sports disciplines. A whopping 106 gold medals were on offer across archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.

Odisha finished second collecting 21 gold, 15 silver and 21 bronze medals. Odisha ended with a total of 57 medals in their bag thus becoming the only State to cross a half century of medals. Jharkhand ended third with 16 gold, eight silver and 11 bronze.

Maharashtra finished fourth with 6 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze while Arunachal Pradesh completed the top five with 6 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Hosts Chhattisgarh also gave a strong account of the sporting talent among the tribal community as they clinched three gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals to finish ninth. Chhattisgarh’s last medal was a silver in men’s football on Saturday when they went down 0-1 against West Bengal in the final.

After getting UT status, archery in Ladakh growing exponentially: Coach Khan

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Mar 31

LADAKH is admired for its beauty and snow-clad mountains. But for archery coach Feroz Ali Khan the ‘newly carved’ Union Territory of India will soon be known for its sportspersons and Olympian archers.

Khan, who himself is a national level archer, is in Raipur with a contingent of six archers participating in the first Khelo India Tribal Games. 

Taking his time out during the compound archery competition at Sardar Patel International Hockey Stadium Complex, Khan exuded confidence that the day is not far when archers from the hilly region of the country start producing internationally acclaimed archers and even Olympians.

“There is no dearth of sporting talent in Ladakh. The only thing is promotion of sport is a bit slow. But with the Narendra Modi Government carving out a Union Territory (in 2019), sports and archery in particular is getting due recognition. The day is not far when these milky mountains will shine with Olympian archers,” Khan confidently says while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ on Tuesday.

“Archery is a traditional sport in Ladakh. It is in our blood. The best part of Ladakh is that parents themselves take interest in their wards to take up sports. They bring their kids without fail to our academy for training, that too from far flung hilly areas,” mentions Khan, who is a member of Ladakh Archery Association.

“Our archers are performing well in age group events at NTPC nationals. They are finishing in the top six brackets on a regular basis. Earlier, the journey was long, from district to state and then nationals. Now, they (archers) get a chance to show their talent directly in national level meets. 

“Though the government is promoting the sport, I think we should get top quality equipment at national meets. Archery equipment is very costly. At present we have basic equipment,” Khan says, adding that “good coaches and infrastructure is need of the hour.”

With the snow covering the mountains for more than six months, it’s difficult to practice but still the Ladakhis make no excuses. “The archers train in minus temperatures. It is not easy to maintain focus and take aim at the target. You can understand how difficult it is to train in bone chilling weather. But tournaments (organised by clubs) take place in winter only and the participation is tremendous,” 43-year-old Khan proudly narrates.

Khan is a true sports promoter. He runs a club -- Downhill Kargil Club which gives training in archery, ice hockey, roller skating and cycling (MTB). “The club gives more preference to women. In the prestigious annual LG Cup our girls have been winning the championship for the last two years. So there is no gender bias,” Khan signs off.

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Suraj, shining amidst gloomy days

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Mar 31

TRIBAL athletes show a different kind of will to excel and fight till the end to emerge victorious. 

Like most of the ‘adivasis’, Maharashtra’s long distance runner Suraj Mashi too is a story of grit, determination, sorrow, combined with few successes.

Hailing from Mokhada Taluka in Palghar, Suraj brought a different kind of energy in a family of four sisters. But his formative years compelled him to share the burden of the family of five.

With no other option, Suraj, who bagged silver in 5000m in the ongoing Khelo India Tribal Games, has to support his family financially, even as he has to foot his training bills…all in meager prize money of Rs 3000-5000 and sometimes even less.

“I dream of representing the country one day. I shifted to Nashik to study and to pursue my dream of running for the nation. 

“But here the coaching fee is Rs 4000 per month. I can’t afford it. Plus I have to pay my room rent.

Hence I try to win as many races as I can in Maharashtra and Gujarat. 

“I can’t afford a personal coach but when I feel like seeking some advice I reach out to my seniors,” said Suraj, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’.

Suraj , who belongs to the Warli tribe, suffered a jolt at an early age when his mother got bed-ridden after slipping in their house and the responsibility of his sisters came on his shoulders.

“I try to participate in competitions to make a living. I run cross-country races, other competitions where I manage to earn around Rs 3000 to Rs 5000,every month.

“I send some amount to my father (a labourer) and also pay for my education, training,” said 18-year-old Suraj.

Suraj feels that the Khelo India Tribal Games is a good initiative from the government but adds that if financial aid is also given then it would be more beneficial.

“If the winners get some financial assistance it would do them a world of good,” he concluded.

Number of disciplines in KITG may increase next year: Union Minister Khadse

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 1

DECLARING that the first Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) held in Raipur has been huge success, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse said that the games will expand with each passing year and Indian sports would be benefited with fresh talents from the hinterlands.

Addressing a packed press conference, Khadse lauded the efforts taken by Chhattisgarh government and all those associated in organising the event.

“The first Khelo India Tribal Games has turned out to be a huge success and I congratulate Chhattisgarh government for organising it in a well-planned manner on such a short notice,” Khadse told the media on Wednesday.

This year, competitions were held in seven disciplines and Khadse believed that in future more sports will be added.

“This is the first Tribal Games and we have received good response from tribal communities. We will definitely try to increase the number of disciplines in future but first we will have a review meeting and then will think about it. The response from athletes was tremendous and more discipline will bring more talent,” Khadse declared.

On expanding its wings in the country, Khadse said that the government will try to take these games to maximum tribal belts of the country. “I belong to Maharashtra. Districts like Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Nandurbar are also tribal belts. These games are exclusively for the tribal community and we will take it to tribal belts only in future.”

Khadse mentioned that since the last eight years, sports culture has started developing in the country and the government is committed to take the sports to the next level.

“Now, tribals are hoping to excel in sports at national 

level. They are aiming to get a job through sports,” she claimed.

“Sports culture has now started developing in India. Women are stepping forward to take up sports now. Through Asmita League, we have received tremendous response from the fairer sex. Around 2 lakh women participated in the Asmita League on March 8, which was really heartening.

“We want to take the sports culture to every part of the country and to every house of this nation. We want every single kid to take up sports in India. Then only we will become a powerhouse in sports in future,” Khadse felt.

“At the same time we will have to make a balance between traditional games and developed sports. We will have to see what kind of potential we get in traditional sport and at the same time will have to keep promoting those sportspersons training for Olympic sports,” Khadse clarified.

“With the help of State governments, we are preparing a roadmap to strengthen sports infrastructures. We are requesting big corporate houses to help traditional sports grow through their CSR funds and 

adopt a few games so that players can be developed in the proper way.

“The Central Government is also planning to start district sports schools in every state and for that the government has asked all the States to draw an outline,” she informed.

STRAIGHT BAT

Khadse’s ‘no’ to including cricket in KITG

Even though cricket is the most popular sport in the country, State Sports Minister Raksha Khadse straightway refused to promote the sport through Khelo India Tribal Games.

Not demeaning the sport, Khadse said that the promotion and sponsorship cricket is getting is sufficient and the government is promoting the lesser known sports.

“Cricket is being run quite well by the BCCI. The associations and various clubs in the country are promoting the game beautifully. There is a beeline to sponsor cricket in our country. Our focus is only on Olympic sport and traditional sports. We want to take these sports forward and the Sports Ministry is working on it. Cricket is part of our ministry but you can see that cricket is a developed sport and there is a culture of that sport in India. But other sports are not being backed by sponsors. So we are trying to promote other sports so that their viewership reaches the level at which cricket is,” Khadse explained.

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DOUBLE DELIGHT

Odisha men, women are hockey champs

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 1

ODISHA men and women scripted history by winning the maiden Khelo India Tribal Games’ hockey titles on Wednesday. The women edged past Mizoram by a solitary goal in the evening while the men defeated Jharkhand 4-1 in a high-intensity match which was delayed by floodlight glitch at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium in Raipur.

In the women’s encounter, Ajmina Kujur (39th) scored the match winning goal while in the men’s category, Abhishek Lakra (20th), Amit Kumar Toppo (21st), Akash Sorong (37th) and Satish Munda (60th) scored for the winners. Jaymasih Tuti scored for Jharkhand in the 15th minute.

Odisha men showed their intent right from the start and kept the ball possession. However, it was Jharkhand who took the lead at the stroke of first quarter with a clever goal from Tuti. Tuti scooped the ball over an advancing Odisha keeper Dilip Kumar Sa to put his side ahead.

But that was the only time when Jharkhand celebrated. Odisha changed the gears and combined brilliantly to breach Jharkhand defence time and again to lay their hands on the coveted title. In the women’s final, Odisha eves showed great temperament to pip Mizoram.

Till the third quarter, the match was in balance with both the teams holding their fort.

However, it was the last quarter which produced the winner. Ajmina stunned Mizoram with a fine slap shot into the board off a penalty corner in the 39th minute. Mizoram gave their all in the final minutes but Odisha held their nerves to claim the gold medal.

Talawar, Nagini bag golds to extend Karnataka’s lead 

RACE walker Dasharath Talawar and middle-distance runner Nagini added a gold medal each to table toppers Karnataka’s tally while Chhattisgarh’s Gajendra Thakur bagged a silver in the men’s 800m.

Dasharath led Karnataka’s 1-2 in the men’s 10km race walk with a time of 45:13.85s with Darshan Bagadi (46:25.90s) finishing second ahead of Gujarat’s Sagarbhai Katara (48:16.09s) at the Kreeda Parisar athletics track in Jagdalpur. Nagini then dominated the women’s 800m race to clinch the gold with a time of 2:13.80s to take Karnataka’s gold medal tally to 21.  Karnataka has also bagged eight silver and seven bronze for an aggregate of 36 medals. Chattisgarh’s Gajendra Thakur claimed the men’s 800m silver medal with a timing of 1:53.82s behind Munda, who clocked 1:53.33s. 

Chhattisgarh men’s hockey team clinched the bronze medal by beating neighbouring Madhya Pradesh 14-6.

 The two medals took their tally to two gold, eight silver and five bronze and are placed 10th in the overall standings.

With just one day of track and field competitions left, second-placed Odisha continued to chase the table toppers with four gold on Wednesday to take their overall tally to 17 gold, 10 silver and 16 bronze medals.

Jharkhand now have a total of 19 medals -- nine gold, three silver and 7  bronze medals.

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Milkman Hamam delivers gold

Special Correspondent

RAIPUR, Apr 1

IT TOOK 14 long years to see the yellow metal dangle around his neck. During those painful years, Jammu and Kashmir’s Hamam Hussain had to move door to door to deliver milk. When not practicing, Hamam had to help his brother in the daily chores to support his family.

On Wednesday, the 28-year-old wrestler from Jorawar village in Jammu lifted the men’s 79kg freestyle gold by defeating Himachal Pradesh’s Mohit Kumar.

Wrestling was the most loved sport in Hussain family. Hamam’s brother was also a wrestler who participated till the State-level meets. But after their father’s demise the families responsibility fell on the elder Hussain’s shoulder and he decided to quit the sport.

“He motivated me to continue wrestling and took me to dangals around J&K,” Hussain said.

“The buffaloes our father left behind became our only source of livelihood. Once I stepped into the mud akhada, I was fascinated with the sport,” said Hamam.

Hamam has to walk 20 km away from his village for training mud akhada and travels around 40 km to Jammu for mat practice.

“The Sports Authority of India centre is in Jammu and we live in a lower region, so it is quite far for us. It is difficult to go there regularly for practice. We usually go only when competitions are there; otherwise, we train in mud akhadas.

Without any personal coach, Hamam has delivered handsomely in Raipur.

“I don’t have a personal coach. Senior wrestlers in the akhada guide us. We get coaches when we train on mats. In villages, we don’t get the kind of facilities that wrestlers in cities have. If we get better facilities, wrestlers from our region can win more medals at national and international levels,” he said.

For Hamam, this gold is more than just a medal and he is a contended man. “It feels great to be here. The facilities provided were very good. We come from a backward area where there is not much support for wrestling, so we have to travel long in train. This is the first time such a competition has been organised for us, and if more such events are held, we can win more medals,” he concluded.

 with a hope that he will see more such medals dangling around his neck.

NDFA bars clubs from ‘importing’ footballers

By Paritosh Pramanik

March 29, 2026

TO ARREST the dwindling participation of local footballers in city leagues, Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) has decided to restrict participation of outstation players in Elite Division from the coming season.

Till now, clubs used to ‘import’ players from outside the city and state to make their teams strong. This hampered participation of local footballers which the clubs assumed they were feeble.

NDFA President Haresh Vora, while informing life members and club representatives during its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, said that from the coming season, clubs will have to register maximum local players in their squad.

“The clubs need to understand that they are playing Nagpur district league. It has been noticed that clubs are ‘importing’ players from other states and ignoring local talents, especially in Elite Division. NDFA conducts tournaments to promote local talents so that they represent State and national teams. But by selecting ‘outsiders’, clubs are doing injustice to city footballers,” Vora noted.

“We have decided to allow only three ‘imported’ players that too only from Maharashtra, to play in NDFA Elite Division League from this season. Teams will have to register maximum number of Nagpur players,” Vora added.

Last season, Rabbani Club Kamptee won the JSW Elite Division title with footballers from Kamptee and Nagpur.

In contrast, runners-up Young Muslim Football Club had only a few local players while the team was heavily built on ‘outsiders’ which included a few from Jammu and Kashmir. “This three outstation players in a team will not be applicable for department teams,” Vora clarified.

The NDFA President also informed that in Super Division, only three players of above 21 years of age will be allowed to participate.

“There has to be a proper structure and balance. Hence we have decided to restrict the age limit in Super Division. Let the young ones fight out with their opponents of same age. The reason for permitting three players of above 21 years is to guide the young teenagers. These three senior players can be mentors for the budding footballers,” explained Vora.

Surprisingly, there was no discussion held on grassroot football. The AGM failed to discuss on organising Under-13, U-15 or U-17 leagues. Such leagues can be the feeder line as it has been seen in other sports.

Another major miss was discussion on women’s football. Not a single word was discussed about promoting and developing eves football in the city.

The members congratulated Christopher Peter who became the first FIFA Qualified Assistant Referee from Nagpur.

Dubey wants to give his best in all 3 departments

By Paritosh Pramanik

March 28, 2026

He came out with flying colours in the limited opportunities he got in the last IPL and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey wants to delivery another superlative performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season starting Saturday.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will meet defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening encounter at M Chinnaswamy Stadium 

in Bengaluru in the evening tussle.

Last year, Vidarbha’s premier spinner Dubey was picked as replacement player by SRH and he made an immediate impact with his slow bowling.

He decorated his short resume with prized wickets of Virat Kohli and Andre Russell.

If included in the playing XI, Dubey wants to continue from where he left.

“It would be special,” he said when asked whether he would love to once again take the scalp of Kolhi.

Retained by SRH for the season, Dubey wants to give his 100 per cent in all three departments of the game —batting, bowling and fielding. 

“This time I have worked hard on all three departments of the game. If I wish to play for India (in future) I will have to be best in all three departments,” stated Dubey while speaking with ‘The Hitavada’ from Bengaluru.

Dubey said he will have to show more responsibility this season. The 23-year-old tweaker said whenever he gets a chance to play, he will keep things simple.

“They (SRH) showed belief in me. They felt that I can handle that pressure in a certain situation. It’s a new opportunity for me and I will have to stay a step ahead from my opponents because they will come prepared this time. My plan will be to keep it simple. I don’t want to make things complicated because at times it happens that when we try to experiment much, we fail to get favourable results,” explained Dubey who recently won the BCCI’s best bowler and best all-rounder awards for 2024-2025 Ranji season.

Dubey said that the long break after end of domestic season gave him time to prepare well for IPL.

“Preparations were solid this time. I joined the team from Day One. We got a long break of a month (after domestic season) so we all trained hard for this season. I am focussing on a couple of aspects this time. My main focus is on my diet. Similarly, I am improving my fitness level. Doing strength exercises and working on core to be in proper shape for the big day. I am also working hard on my batting. I will be batting at lower down the order and I want to contribute with the bat as well. If I want to play for the country I will have to give 100 per cent in all three departments (batting, bowling and fielding). Only then will I be able to impress selectors,” said Dubey.

The left-arm spinner said that he wants to live up to team’s expectations this time. 

“The team expects that I deliver the same way I did last year. They have given me some tasks which I will have to perform on the given day.” he signed off.

To outpunch rivals in Asian Games, Alfiya training on footwork, endurance

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

March 8, 2026

WITH eight international, 14 national and several state level medals including gold, silver and bronze, city’s Alfiya Tarannum Khan Pathan is not a novice to boxing.

The southpaw pugilist, who is Elite Asian boxing champion (2022, Jordan) and youth world boxing champion (Elorda Cup, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan), is leaving no stone unturned for the forthcoming Asian Boxing Championship scheduled to be held in Mongolia from March 28 to April 11.

Alfiya has been named in the 20-member Indian squad which also has Nikhat Zarin and Lovlina Borgohain by the Indian Boxing Federation.

Alfiya will be participating in the 80+ weight category and the 23-year-old is training hard in the India camp at Patiala.

On the eve of Women’s Day Alfiya talked with ‘The Hitavada’ about her preparations for the Asian meet.

“The training camp is intense and focused, and we are working hard every day on fitness, technique, and sparring. The goal is to be in the best possible shape before the championship,” Alfiya said on Saturday.

The Indian team will leave for Mongolia in next few days to get acclimatise with the 

conditions.

“First of all I would like to wish everybody on International Women’s Day.

“To all women, I would like to say ‘Believe in yourself and never limit your dreams. With hard work and determination, women can achieve success in every field, including sports,’” was the message from Alfiya, the Astana (Kazakhstan) Youth silver medallist.

Alfiya said there is scope of improvement every time and it is a continuous process.

But for this Asian meet she is concentrating hard on speed and endurance.

“This time the focus has been on speed, endurance, and tactical improvement. We worked a lot on footwork, defence, and ring strategy so that we can perform confidently against strong opponents,” she said confidently.

The expectations were high from Alfiya after she graduated to the senior team from the junior circuit where she made her mark with medal winning performances.

“The Asian Boxing Championships (in Mongolia) is extremely important for me. Asia has some of the best boxing nations, so performing well here means proving yourself at a very high level. It is also a great opportunity to gain experience and bring pride to the country,” Alfiya mentioned.

“I am expecting very tough competition. Asian boxers are technically strong and very disciplined, so every bout will be challenging and will require full focus,” she added.

With a tough field in her weight category, Alfiya is not taking any opponent lightly and is concentrating on her own game.

“At this level, every opponent is strong, so I am not focusing on a particular rival. I am concentrating on my own preparation and strategy for each bout,” said the Central Railways Nagpur TTE.

In the pious month of Ramadan, Alfiya is also observing fast whenever possible.

“During Ramadan, I am trying to observe fast as much as possible. “It is a spiritual month for us, and balancing faith with sports discipline is important. Fasting does make training more challenging, but with proper planning, hydration after Iftar, and guidance from coaches, I am managing it well. It also builds mental strength and discipline,” she explained.

Apart from regular training/sparring, the current Khelo India gold medallist for Maharashtra Alfiya is focusing on strength conditioning and breathing to maintain mental strength. 

“I am focusing on strength conditioning, stretching and sometimes meditation and breathing exercises to maintain mental focus and recovery,” she signed off.

Holders Vid win but out of KOs

By Paritosh Pramanik

Feb 1, 2026

DEFENDING champions Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy sojourn ended prematurely despite their four wickets victory over Uttar Pradesh at VCA Jamtha on Sunday.

With Jharkhand recording a five-wicket victory over Odisha and Andhra playing draw with Nagaland, all three finished their league rounds with 31 points each from Group A.

However, Jharkhand pushed Vidarbha to third spot as they earned three bonus points (for innings wins) as compared to Vidarbha’s one. Their run quotient (1.545) also was superior than that of Vidarbha (1.526).

Andhra, who have two bonus points and best run quotient (1.628) in the group, made it to quarters along with Jharkhand.

Vidarbha opener Aman Mokhade (83) and middle order batter Danish Malewar (54) punished Uttar Pradesh bowlers with disdain as the title holders ended their league outings with four wins, two draws and a loss.

Vidarbha chased down the required runs 22 minutes before lunch break.  On the third evening, with Vidarbha four wickets down and needing another 110 runs for an outright win, it looked that hosts would face trouble taking on the UP attack on a tricky track. But with the pitch easing out surprisingly, overnight not out batter Mokhade and Malewar hit boundaries to puncture the rival teams attack.

Malewar, who got a reprieve in the second over of the day when he was dropped on five at slips by Abhishek Goswami, was harsh on UP bowlers. He started with a straight boundary off Shivam Mavi to start his run scoring spree. An over later the right-handed batter stepped out to pick another four off the same bowler. 

Mokhade stayed calm for a while and then freed his arms hitting pacer Kartik Tyagi for a beautiful cover drive which crossed the fence in no time.

Later, he picked two fours in same over of left-arm spinner Kartik Yadav. He gently dabbed the ball towards third man fence and then flicked one to fine leg boundary. At the other end, Malewar was in his elements. He adjusted himself on the crease and once executed an elegant backfooot punch towards long-on fence for four.

The two added match winning 82 runs for the fifth wicket before Mokhade was caught behind by Aditya Sharma of off-spinner Shivam Sharma, with Vidarbha needing another 28 runs for win.

Malewar completed his half-century in 55th over with a single. His 77-ball fifty had five boundaries and a six. 

But he could not stay till the end as part-timer Dhruv Jurel got a faint edge of his bat for a caught behind wicket. Dubey, who hit a couple of boundaries and a six, and Nachiket Bhute completed the formalities with the latter hitting a six of his first ball.

-----

We have best bowling line-up in India: Dubey

n By Paritosh Pramanik

Stand-in captain Harsh Dubey said it was a learning experience for him to lead Vidarbha side in all three formats of the game and lauded his bowlers as the best in the country at present. 

With first choice captain Akshay Wadkar injured, Dubey was named captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare and last two games of Ranji Trophy.

“It was not challenging but I would say a learning curve for me. It taught me how to take decisions, how to utilise bowlers and specially how and when to bring myself in attack,” said Dubey after Vidarbha’s win over Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

“I have always said that Vidarbha have the best bowlers in the country in all three formats. We can dismantle any side. Batters win matches for you but it is the bowlers who win tournaments. They proved this by winning Vijay Hazare tournament,” said left-arm spinner Dubey, who was the highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy last season.

Dubey admitted the situation would have been diferent had experienced players like Dhruv Shorey, Yash Rathod and Wadkar were available for the game against Andhra. “But I belive that Vidarbha have a good back-up line and those got opportunities have excelled in the age group tournaments so we can’t call them inexperienced. So, I think that might be one of the reasons (not having top three),” Dubey concluded.

Hosts eye outright win

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 31, 2026

VIDARBHA bowled like champions on the penultimate day of their must-win Ranji Trophy match bundling out Uttar Pradesh for 200 runs in the afternoon session at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Saturday. But Uttar Pradesh pegged back taking four wickets to leave the match tantalisingly poised.

The target of 201 was then cut down to 110 when the stumps were drawn for the day with Vidarbha knocking off 91 runs but in the process lost top four batters.

Opener Aman Mokhade was going strong with an unbeaten 50 and will have to take the entire responsibility on his shoulders on the final morning. Vidarbha lost fourth wicket on the penultimate delivery of the day when Ravikumr Samarth was trapped lbw off Shivam Sharma.

Vidarbha have full day to score those remaining runs and register an outright win. However, they will have to wait for the result of the Jharkhand vs Odisha tie to see who make it to knock-outs. If Jharkhand and Vidarbha both win their games, they will move to 31 points each and then it will boil down to run quotient.

It was a collective effort from Vidarbha bowlers with spinner Parth Rekhade leading the charge with three wickets. Seamers Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute took two each and captain Harsh Dubey and Yash Kadam chipped in with one apiece.

Vidarbha delivered immediately in the morning to trigger Uttar Pradesh’s downfall. And, by the time lunch arrived, Vidarbha had devoured five wickets with visitors reeling at 160-7.

Resuming the third day at 

75-2, the two overnight batters – captain Aryan Juyal (36) and Aditya Sharma (44) -- added 64 runs for the third wicket before seamer Thakur sent the rival skipper back caught behind. Bhute then bowled a peach of a delivery to rattle Aditya Sharma’s furniture in the 41st over. 

Siddharth Yadav did not trouble much as skipper Dubey trapped him in front. 

First innings star Dhruv Jurel tried to replicate his innings in second essay with a cautious 40 but Mokhade took a breathtaking diving catch at mid-wicket boundary off Kadam to cut short his stay. 

Within an over, Shivam Mavi was caught at first slip by  Samarth and Vidarbha were in total control.

Post lunch break, Kartik Yadav got run out while Kartik Tyagi and  Karan Chaudhary were trapped in front by Rekhade as UP innings folded at 200 runs.

The Bhoyar-Mokhade pair then decided not to take any risk and played dead bat for a brief period. They added only eight runs from seven overs going into the tea break.

Post break, they freed their arms with Mokhade hitting back to back boundaries off Shivam Mavi. He first hit a four over point region and then beautifully pulled a short ball for the same result. Bhoyar, too, tried to pace up the innings when he stepped out and hit Karan Chaudhary for a four through 

covers.

But a few overs later he perished to Shivam Sharma’s turning delivery. Vidarbha lost another wicket in Rohit Binkar who gave an easy catch at first slip to Madhav Kaushik off S Sharma.

Mokhade, meanwhile, continued to stay strong in the middle and added 23 runs with Kadam for the third wicket before the latter was trapped in front of the wicket by Tyagi.

Uttar Pradesh came back into the game taking the wicket of Samarth on the penultimate delivery of the day.

Malewar, Bhute rescue Vid but hosts fail to take lead

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 31, 2026

MISSING most of the season due to injury, Vidarbha middle-order batter Danish Malewar knew the importance of his wicket. Malewar, who got injured during last year’s Irani Cup Trophy, watched his team’s progress this Ranji season as he continued to recover. 

In their last league must-win match of Ranji Trophy against Uttar Pradesh, the 22-year-old batter bailed out defending champions from a precarious position on the second day here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium.

Along with seamer Nachiket Bhute (63), a not so recognised batter, the two pulled out Vidarbha from deep trouble putting up an important 126-run partnership for the seventh wicket. But after their departure, the tail did not wag as Vidarbha were bundled out for exactly 237, same as Uttar Pradesh’s total with pacer Shivam Mavi taking seven first innings wickets. 

In their second innings, Uttar Pradesh were 75-2 with captain Aryan Juyal (35) and Aditya Sharma (25) at the crease.

Resuming the second day at 33-0, Vidarbha were in all sorts of trouble losing six wickets for 103 runs in first session, with Mavi taking top five.

Malewar (80; 117b, 10x4, 1x6) and Bhute did the repair work. From finding gaps in the field to hitting occasional boundaries and sixes, the two started to take the game away from Uttar Pradesh’s grip. And as the tea break approached, both completed their well-deserved half centuries and put Vidarbha back into the reckoning.

Bhute eased out the pressure with three sixes and four boundaries in his third First Class half century. He completed his 50 with a crisp cover drive boundary off Kartik Yadav. This was after Malewar completed his ninth half century early in the day. 

Their partnership finally came to an end in the 59th over when Malewar gave a simple catch to Madhav Kaushik off Mavi who completed his fifer. Few overs later, it was a sad end for Bhute who got run out while going for the non-existent third run. Vidarbha were 233, still trailing by five runs. They could not take the lead and were bundled 

for 237.

In the morning, Vidarbha were bounced out by Mavi. The seamer extracted pace and enough bounce from the track to trouble the home batters. The two overnight batters -- Aman Mokhade (28) and Satyam Bhoyar (19) -- could not hold the fort for long. Mokhade poked one behind to keeper Aditya Sharma to ignite Vidarbha’s fall.

New-man Rohit Binkar never looked comfortable against Mavi. He was troubled by bouncers by the UP seamer who hit him on his helmet early. The batter finally perished to a short-pitched delivery giving a simple catch to stumper Sharma in the 21st over.

Vidarbha professional R Samarth failed to read the line of the ball and was castled first ball while shouldering arm the delivery. Mavi struck once again sending back Bhoyar caught behind off a bouncer in the 23rd over.

Later, Kartik Tyagi came from pavilion end and succeeded in getting the wicket of Yash Kadam (14) who completely missed the line to see his stumps shattered. Then came Malewar and Bhute who helped Vidarbha reach near the 237 score.

Dubey denies Jurel ton with a ‘sixer’

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 29, 2026

Responsibility brings best out of those who possess willpower to fight. They soak the pressure of added burden which helps them perform better.

Same is the case with Vidarbha captain Harsh Dubey. 

The burden of captaincy brought out a superlative performance from the left-arm spinner as he ran through Uttar Pradesh’s innings with a fifer in Vidarbha’s crucial Ranji Trophy match here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Thursday.

With regular skipper Akshay Wadkar injured, the reigns of the team was handed over to Dubey who did not disappoint the team management. After escorting Vidarbha to their maiden Vijay Hazare title, Dubey is leading the side to perfection in the red-ball format too. In a must-win game against Uttar Pradesh Dubey used his skills and clever thinking to take six first innings wickets which restricted the visitors at 237 in 68.5 overs.

At stumps, Vidarbha were 33 without loss, still trailing by 204 runs. Openers Aman Mokhade (19) and Satyam Bhoyar (13) were at the crease.

Going into the last league match, Vidarbha missed the services of Dhruv Shorey, Yash Rathod and regular captain Akshay Wadkar. But Dubey made it sure it does not affect his performance. He bowled a perfect line and spun the ball enough to get edges from the bat of UP batters. Out of his six wickets, four were caught in slips and one by wicketkeeper Rohit Binkar.

If that was not enough, Dubey used his bowlers cleverly which helped them take crucial wickets. Dubey did the bulk of damage on Uttar Pradesh batting taking wickets at regular intervals. The first session belonged to the hosts who pushed UP to 80 for 4 at lunch. During the morning session, Dubey snared three wickets after pacer Nachiket Bhute had given then an early breakthrough when he disturbed the timber of UP opener Madhav Kaushik (4) in the 8th over.

Dubey came in as a first change bowler in the 11th over. He would have made an immediate impact but Aman Mokhade, who was handed the vice-captaincy for the match, spilled a catch at second slip of opener Abhishek Goswami. But he did not trouble much as Dubey got him in his second over disturbing his furniture with a delivery which spun enough to bang into the stumps.

A couple of overs later, the Vidarbha captain forced rival skipper Aryan Juyal (12) to edge one to substitute Atharva Taide at second slip. Aditya Sharma then became Dubey third prey a few overs later with wicketkeeper Rohit Binkar taking a sharp catch.

Vidarbha tasted more success post lunch break getting two quick wickets in space of six overs. Left-handed UP batter Siddharth Yadav was the first to go who was beautifully caught by Binkar off Hinge. 

Yadav and Jurel had added 43 runs for the 5th wicket before the former departed.

Binkar then showed his agility in stumping Shivam Sharma off Parth Rekhade as Uttar Pradesh slumped to 109 for six.

India international Jurel (96) and Shivam Mavi (47) did frustrate Vidarbha bowlers with a 92 runs seventh wicket partnership, but Dubey brought Yash Kadam into the attack. The part-time spinner responded well breaking the partnership with the wicket of Mavi who went for a huge heave only to hand an easy catch to Parth Rekhade at long on.

Jurel played sensibly and waited for loose deliveries and increased the pace of the game as UP took tea at 201-7.

Vidarbha regrouped after the break and Dubey cleaned up the tail taking all the three wickets. 

With Jurel inching towards his century and strong on off-side, Dubey bowled smartly with some negative line which forced Jurel to play a reverse shot. The batter fell prey to Dubey’s trick as he handed over an easy catch to Kadam at short third man. 

In the same over, the Vidarbha captain completed his 9th five-wicket haul taking the wicket of debutant Karan Chaudhary and then ended UP innings with Kartik Tyagi’s wicket, caught at slips by Kadam. The responsibility is making Dubey a clever cricketer.

Vid meet UP in must-win game

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 29, 2026

VIDARBHA are in a very peculiar situation. Before the white-ball competition break, the defending champions were cruising and were sitting pretty at the top of Elite Group A.

Post break, they see themselves slip at the third spot.

It was just one bad game, their first defeat after 15 matches, against Andhra that pushed Vidarbha to the wall.

Come Thursday, Vidarbha will take on Uttar Pradesh in a must-win last league game at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium. The Harsh Dubey-led side will have to beat Uttar Pradesh, who are already out of knock-out contention, at any cost to move up to at least second spot and make it to last eight.

A big win over UP will take Vidarbha’s points tally to 31. But their chances of making knock-outs will depend on the results of the game between toppers Andhra vs Nagaland and second-placed Jharkhand vs Odisha.

If Vidarbha, Andhra and Jharkhand all three win their games then the team from South will go through while it will boil down to Run Quotient between the Syed Mushtaq Ali title winners and the hosts.

While Andhra and Jharkhand have relative easy opponents, Vidarbha will have a slight edge over Uttar Pradesh, playing at home.

Vidarbha will have to take field with determination and will have to produce champions stuff. Not for nothing they are three-time Ranji and Irani champions and the players have the wherewithal to eke out an outright win, whoever the opponent be.

With opener Aman Mokhade (649 runs) and last season’s highest runs scorer Yash Rathod (645 runs) securing fifth and sixth spots in runs scorers list, Vidarbha will be no pushovers against Uttar Pradesh. Apart from the two talented batters, Vidarbha batting boasts of fit-again Danish Malewar, professional Ravikumar Samarth, wicketkeeper-batter Rohit Binkar, captain Harsh Dubey, Yash Kadam to name a few. It is time that Malewar, who was in a tremendous form last season before getting injured, will have to pull up his socks and help Vidarbha score big.

The bowling unit will be bolstered by the return of pacer Yash Thakur who missed the last game due to a niggle. He will have Darshan Nalkande in his company apart from Nachiket Bhute. The spin department will have skipper Dubey with Parth Rekhade and Ganesh Bhosle completing the line-up.

The Uttar Pradesh side will look to ending their campaign on a positive note after a not-so-good season with just one win under their belt.

The team, led by Aryan Juyal, will take confidence in return of Dhruv Jurel who has the ability to take the opponents to cleaners. The top order will have Abhshek Goswami who had hit 85 in their loss to Jharkhand and Madhav Kaushik. Priyam Garg, the middle-order bat, will look to getting some runs under his belt before IPL.

Pacer Shivam Mavi will be in-charge of the bowling department with Siddarth Yadav, Kartik Yadav and Shivam Sharma in his company. The next four days will determine whether Vidarbha stay in the tournament or make a premature exit. The defending champions know how to tide over this peculiar situation.

Opening Statement: India crush Kiwis by 48 runs to go 1-up

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Jan 21

THE lean frame which Abhishek Sharma presents does not reveal the actual power he possesses. The left-handed opener can clear any distance and his power-packed batting was on display on Wednesday night when the 25-year-old cracked 84 from 35 deliveries to help India post a total which New Zealand could not achieve here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium. The target of 239 was too steep for the Black Caps as they could muster 190-7 in 20 overs.

India showed a perfect blueprint of their attacking batting style which will be on display in next two months going into the home T20 World Cup as they went on to record a 48-run 

win to lead the five-match series 1-0.

New Zealand knew the chase wouldn’t be easy with India having world class bowlers in Arshdeep Singh (1-31), Hardik Pandya (1-20), Varun Chakravarthy (2-37), and Shivam Dube (2-28). Buried under a mountain of 238 runs, they succumbed. They perished as India avenged the decade-old defeat at the same venue with a commanding victory.

A packed explosive batting line-up attacked New Zealand bowlers with disdain hitting 14 sixes and 21 boundaries to make mockery of the visiting bowling line-up. Along with captain Suryakumar Yadav, who became the fourth player to play 100 T20Is for India, Sharma added 99 runs for the third wicket after India had lost Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8) by the third over. That partnership laid the foundation for a big score. With a late flourish from Rinku Singh, who hit an unbeaten 44 from 20 balls, India showed who’s the boss in the shortest format of the game.

Sharma was brutal on all New Zealand bowlers. After playing a couple of dot deliveries, he made his intentions clear with a straight six off the tall Jacob Duffy to set the ball rolling. From then on, his powerful shots were on display with Yadav being the spectator at the other end. Yadav, going through a lean patch, made sure he played second fiddle to his partner. He hit some of his trademark shots and did find gaps to pick up boundaries. Once, the captain stepped out and placed the ball into the gap to collect a boundary towards the long-on fence. Prior to that, he went on his knees to slog it over the square leg boundary for a beautiful four.

Meanwhile, Sharma was unstoppable. His six off Mitchell Santner in the 11th over sailed into the stands with the fielder becoming a spectator. There were shades of Yuvraj Singh in his batting. He bent on his knees a bit but kept his body straight as he sent the ball over the ropes for another six. His entertaining innings came to an end in the 12th over when he holed up a skier off Ish Sodhi to Kyle Jamieson. Surya made 32, Pandya important 25 but it was the late cameo from Rinku Singh, a 44 from 20 deliveries (4x4, 3x6) which kept the run rate high. Rinku took 21 from the last over bowled by Darly Mitchell which had two sixes and as many fours to put India in total control.

New Zealand’s chase was stuttering. They lost two quick wickets inside two overs with Arshdeep and Pandya striking in their respective first overs. Glenn Phillips (78; 40b, 4x4, 6x6) and Tim Robinson (21; 15b, 2x4, 1x6) tried to steady the ship with 51 runs from 31 deliveries for the third wicket but Chakravarthy gave India another breakthrough getting the latter’s scalp in the 7th over. Phillips and Mark Chapman (39; 24b, 4x4, 2x6) were involved in a crucial 79 runs stand for the fourth wicket.

Phillips tried to dominate. He hit Axar for a four and a six but the bowler had the last laugh as he got him caught by Dube at long-on boundary as New Zealand slumped to 131-4 and then 143 for five in the 15th over and then ended their innings at 190-7 in 20 overs.

Orange City Turns Sea Of Blue

 JAMTHA JOTTINGS  ---   By Paritosh Pramanik and Deval Kakde

IT WAS India Blue on the sale. With the T20 International coming to Nagpur after a long gap, fans made sure they didn’t miss to see their demigods. The India Blue T-shirts were sold like hot cakes by the vendors. They did not care for the cost of the tees which went up to Rs 800!

All they wanted was to look part of the Indian team. The T-shirt sellers were outside VCA Civil Lines where they were selling it at Rs 200. But as one moved towards the stadium, hundreds of such sellers occupied the footpaths and service lanes of the Hyderabad Highway, selling them at a premium rate.

PATRIOTS

There were several patriots who painted their faces in India tri-colours. The painters too made good money as a small three-dash flag cost around Rs 50. The price increased with the size of the tri-colour. The fans also wore tri-colour turbans and waved the flags showing their patriotism.

BEELINE

WITH no IPL matches conducted in the city, fans get few opportunities to watch Indian cricketers perform in Nagpur. They made sure they didn’t miss a single delivery and the 

moment and made a beeline outside the stadium much ahead of the scheduled start of play. The serpentine line grew as the time progressed.

HOUSEFUL SHOW

IT WAS a house-full show. Not a single seat was left vacant and the stadium was full to the brim. The 44,000 capacity stadium witnessed an international T20 match after a long gap and fans came in numbers to make it a memorable moment.

BLACK 

MARKETING

DESPITE tickets being sold online, there were many black marketers who made a few extra bucks by selling tickets at an exorbitant price. A spectator said that he brought a ticket of Rs 750 denomination for Rs 3000. There were many who paid much more for some other seats. All they wanted was to be inside the stadium and watch the cricketers play.

ROHIT, VIRAT STILL IN DEMAND

THEY might have retired from Tests and T20 Internationals, but star cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still the heart-throb of millions of fans around the world. The two have lit up stadiums around the globe and fans could not fathom their departure from two formats of the game. The T-shirts are still on demand and the stadium was full with VIRAT and ROHIT T-shirts. So what they are not in the side, fans still love their favourite cricketers.

PUSH OR PULL

IT IS important to apply correct signage at the correct position during a big event like international matches. Wrong information might make things dangerous. During the match, one of the spectators in the corporate box was about to break the glass door unknowingly due to wrong sticker signage on it. The glass door was supposed to be pushed to open it but the signage read ‘pull’. The spectator following the ‘orders’ pulled it only to see it bang the huge door into the frame. Luckily, it did not break.

PRECIOUS LOSS

MATCH tickets are a precious commodity. It takes a humongous effort to get one. But tragedy strikes when one loses them. Such an incident happened outside the stadium when two bike-borne men snatched tickets from a youth. The ‘thieves’ sped away on their moped. The youth approached the police to register a 

complaint.

GAME OF A BILLION DREAMS

ONE enthusiastic little cricket fan was seen keenly observing each and every aspect of this beautiful stadium and asking array of questions to his father. He asked, ‘what it takes to be on that green playing surface?’ The father patiently replied as said it takes a lot of hard work to achieve success. Hope the kid takes the teachings seriously and achieves his goals.

‘TASKAREE’

DESPITE heavy checking at the turnstile posts, few spectators managed to smuggle Nagpuri ‘Kharra’ inside the stadium. Hiding them where nobody can reach, Nagpurians came out victors in dodging the volunteers at the gates. One of the spectators was seen taking it out from his socks and sharing it with a fellow Indian supporter. Their cricketing knowledge was too ‘commendable’ as they recognised ‘Rinku Yadav’ practicing with ‘Kuldeep Singh’.